The People’s Confession of Sin
1While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. 2Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”
5So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. 6Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 8Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
9Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. 11Now honor10:11 Or Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”
12The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say. 13But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. 14Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” 15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.
16So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, 17and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Those Guilty of Intermarriage
18Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women:
From the descendants of Joshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19(They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)
20From the descendants of Immer:
Hanani and Zebadiah.
21From the descendants of Harim:
Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22From the descendants of Pashhur:
Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23Among the Levites:
Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24From the musicians:
Eliashib.
From the gatekeepers:
Shallum, Telem and Uri.
25And among the other Israelites:
From the descendants of Parosh:
Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
26From the descendants of Elam:
Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27From the descendants of Zattu:
Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28From the descendants of Bebai:
Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
29From the descendants of Bani:
Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
30From the descendants of Pahath-Moab:
Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31From the descendants of Harim:
Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.
33From the descendants of Hashum:
Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34From the descendants of Bani:
Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
38From the descendants of Binnui:10:37,38 See Septuagint (also 1 Esdras 9:34); Hebrew Jaasu 38 and Bani and Binnui,
Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43From the descendants of Nebo:
Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.10:44 Or and they sent them away with their children
終止雜婚
1以斯拉禱告、認罪、哭泣、俯伏在上帝的殿前時，一大群以色列人，包括男女和孩子，都聚集到他那裡，與他一起痛哭。 2以攔的後裔耶歇的兒子示迦尼對以斯拉說：「我們對我們的上帝不忠，娶這地方的外族女子為妻，但以色列還有希望。 3現在，我們來與我們的上帝立約，聽從你和那些敬畏我們上帝誡命之人的指示，遵照律法行事，送走這些妻子和她們的兒女。 4起來吧！這事由你處理，我們支持你，放膽去做吧！」
5於是，以斯拉起來，要祭司長、利未人和所有以色列人起誓照這話去做，他們就都起了誓。 6以斯拉從上帝的殿前起來，進了以利亞實的兒子約哈難的房間。他在那裡不吃不喝，為流亡歸來者的不忠而憂傷。
7他們在猶大和耶路撒冷發出通告，要求所有流亡歸來的人在耶路撒冷集合。 8按照眾首領和長老的決定，三天之內未到者，其財產會被沒收，還要把他本人從流亡歸來的會眾中逐出。
9三天內，所有的猶大人和便雅憫人都聚集在耶路撒冷。九月二十日，民眾都坐在上帝的殿前面的廣場上。因為這事，加上當時下大雨，眾人都戰戰兢兢。
10以斯拉祭司站起來對他們說：「你們對上帝不忠，娶外族的女子為妻，加重了以色列的罪惡。 11現在，你們要向你們祖先的上帝耶和華認罪，遵行祂的旨意，與這地方的人和你們的外族妻子斷絕關係。」
12會眾都高聲回答說：「你說的對，我們必照你的話做。 13可是，人這麼多，又逢雨季，我們不能總站在外面，並且這事一兩天也解決不了，因為我們在這事上犯了大罪。 14不如讓我們的首領為全體會眾處理這事，讓那些娶了外族女子為妻的人在指定的時間，與本城的長老和審判官一起來找首領解決，直到我們的上帝因這事而發的烈怒離開我們。」
15只有亞撒黑的兒子約拿單和特瓦的兒子雅哈謝反對這事，支持他們的還有米書蘭和利未人沙比太。
16流亡歸來的人都遵命而行。以斯拉祭司按家族選出各族長，都是點名指定的。他們從十月一日開始著手查辦這事， 17到次年一月一日才查清娶外族女子為妻的人。
18祭司中娶外族女子為妻的有耶書亞的子孫約薩達的兒子及其弟兄瑪西雅、以利以謝、雅立和基大利。 19他們起誓答應休掉自己的妻子，並從羊群中獻上一隻公綿羊為自己贖罪。 20音麥的子孫中有哈拿尼和西巴第雅。 21哈琳的子孫中有瑪西雅、以利雅、示瑪雅、耶歇和烏西雅。 22巴施戶珥的子孫中有以利約乃、瑪西雅、以實瑪利、拿坦業、約撒拔和以利亞撒。
23利未人中有約撒拔、示每、基拉雅——又名基利他、毗他希雅、猶大和以利以謝。 24歌樂手中有以利亞實。殿門守衛中有沙龍、提聯、烏利。
25其他以色列人中有巴錄的子孫拉米、耶西雅、瑪基雅、米雅民、以利亞撒、瑪基雅和比拿雅。 26以攔的子孫中有瑪他尼、撒迦利亞、耶歇、押底、耶利末和以利雅。 27薩土的子孫中有以利約乃、以利亞實、瑪他尼、耶利末、撒拔和亞西撒。 28比拜的子孫中有約哈難、哈拿尼雅、薩拜和亞勒。 29巴尼的子孫中有米書蘭、瑪鹿、亞大雅、雅述、示押和耶利末。 30巴哈·摩押的子孫中有阿底拿、基拉、比拿雅、瑪西雅、瑪他尼、比撒列、賓內和瑪拿西。 31哈琳的子孫中有以利以謝、伊示雅、瑪基雅、示瑪雅、西緬、 32便雅憫、瑪鹿、示瑪利雅。 33哈順的子孫中有瑪特乃、瑪達他、撒拔、以利法列、耶利買、瑪拿西和示每。 34巴尼的子孫中有瑪玳、暗蘭、烏益、 35比拿雅、比底雅、基祿、 36瓦尼雅、米利末、以利亞實、 37瑪他尼、瑪特乃和雅掃。 38賓內的子孫中有示每、 39示利米雅、拿單、亞大雅、 40瑪拿底拜、沙賽、沙賴、 41亞薩利、示利米雅、示瑪利雅、 42沙龍、亞瑪利雅和約瑟。 43尼波的子孫中有耶利、瑪他提雅、撒拔、西比拿、雅玳、約珥和比拿雅。
44以上這些人都娶了外族女子為妻，其中有些還生了子女。
